Tag Archives: Mentoring

Each year, I compile a list of goals for the coming year. One piece of advice, have a list on your phone or cork-board in your office where you write these ideas all throughout the previous year. That way, when you sit down at your computer in December, you’re not lost for ideas.

Here’s the list for 2019. Can’t wait to get started!

Inter-generational Service Projects—Encourage more adult & teen service involvement, including helping plan events.

New Writing Project—God continues to provide writing opportunities through book sales and blog articles for youth ministry, and this coming year working towards another book opportunity.

Summer Camp—One of my bucket list items—speaking at a summer camp! And I get to bring teens, what a deal!

Theology Enrichment—Review of theological textbooks and attendance of a theological/preaching conference.

Pastoral Training Course—After a decade in the ministry, I’d like to write down some lessons I’ve learned and wisdom I’ve received from others, and put this in a training course to help those new to ministry.

Teen Mentoring—While the goal of adults mentoring teens continues to be a goal, I’d like to see more teens mentoring younger students. Leadership teens will be expected to mentor younger teens, and younger teens will learn to be a mentor and example to younger kids.

International Trip—Mission Trip to Germany this summer serving alongside missionaries our church supports.

Yep, That Sounds Right. The book gives you an inside look at the life of a teenage boy. And as I went through this with one of my students, we both found it to be right on in many ways. The struggles and decisions were dead on. The author chose the right subjects to discuss at just the right time. So, as a result, the conversation flowed naturally from chapter to chapter.

Junior High Gold Mine. You just don’t find many books like this. Turning a teenager is not an easy task on anyone. These boys to men need some help. And with this book, help is on the way! It provides easy to read chapters, loads of follow-up questions, and challenging material to help these young men grow to be men of God.

The Bad:

Updating…With any book, it could use some updating. Technology is going at such a rapid pace, there are some words and vernacular that is somewhat dated. Even with this book being published only 7 years ago, you may have to add to some of the application to keep it relevant. But for the most part, the practical suggestions are very applicable and up to date.

The Grade: A. It’s not earth shattering or rocket science, but I will say this…It is one of the best resources I have ever come across in mentoring junior high boys. There is not a ton of material out there, and this is an age that needs discipleship and guidance. So parents, youth pastors and workers, I would encourage you to meet with a handful of guys and read through this book together. Spend some time teaching them these important principles. You may save them from making poor decisions, and help them make godly choices.

When we turn the page on the calendar, we often do not look back at the goals of the year before. If you’re like me, you are always looking forward. It is important to take a moment to see how well you did in the goals you set. Because what good are goals is they are set and never met. Here’s a look at how last year’s goals went, to celebrate some victories but also discuss some obstacles you may face.

New Book! – Blessing to announce my 1st book has been published and my goal is for 1,000 copies to be sold to help people fall in love with God’s Word.

Grade: C. Got about halfway to my goal this year. While that’s a little disappointing, how God has used the book is not. The book is now in the hands of missionaries across the world, youth groups across the country, and in the homes of dear families I care about. Even in defeat, that is an incredible victory. Feel free to check it out at http://www.bottomlinedevotional.com

New Curriculum Plan! – Hard to believe this is my 6th year ministering at MBC, which mean a new 6 year plan will be put in place—with the input of parents, students, and research this plan will be implemented in the fall of 2017.

Grade: A. Mission accomplished. With the help of parents, leaders, & students, I was able to produce a sparkling new 6 year curriculum to allow parents to see a plan is in place for their teenager in every year of youth ministry.

Mentoring – Teach a 2 week Mentoring series to encourage mentoring of generations within the church.

Grade: B-. Sure, the class went well and had great interaction. However, it’s been a slow process to see this culture happen within the church. Have I seen some growth? Absolutely. But i would love for more to catch the mentoring bug.

Short Term Mission Trip – Due to monthly local mission project, the 3 year cycle is now work trip, out-of-state, international trip. This year we will be traveling for our work trip.

Grade: A. What a great week. God provided for us to go work at a camp in New York. The teens worked hard, grew in their walk with Christ, and found it a positive time of unity and service.

Life After High School Series—Special speakers to speak on after high school temptations like drugs, how to witness after high school, and leader advice for the young adult years.

Grade: A. One of my all-time favorite student ministry series. You can check it out in detail here.

Public School Partnership – Continue to find ways to partner with local schools to serve them and bring the hope of Jesus Christ to students.

Grade: B-. While we have been able to have a steady presence at the high school, we have seen limited growth. And the middle school partnership has not materialized. Praying God will open doors and I’d be bold enough to walk through the opening.

Social Media Interaction – Bolster ministry social media footprint with student leadership help and more interaction on Facebook.

Grade: B+. Assigned a student as the social media coordinator, and seen an improvement in interaction. Still working on ways to make this even more interactive.

Implement G.R.O.W.T.H Chart– Encourage parents to follow chart of spiritual growth for their students and provide training and help for students to reach these spiritual goals.

Grade: B. Through parent/pastor conferences, this has come a little more alive. Still could use more improvement, but a step in the right direction.

Well, I passed 2017. Maybe not on the honor roll this year, but God certainly blessed, and I praise Him for all the victories and lessons He has taught me along the way.

Think back to that person that invested in you. Where would you be without those late night conversations, the advice over a milkshake, or the shoulder to cry on.

Take this man named Myron. An ordinary guy who decided to invest in the next generation. And now, while in the midst of a difficult time, he is reaping the reward of all those hours spent helping young people.

Mentoring is a process that comes with a lot of meat on the bone. It can be overwhelming to know where to begin and how this mentoring thing works. Well, these two videos are a great place to start. One is how to find a mentor, and the other is how to be a mentor…

Leadership Inspiration. As a man, you don’t walk away from this book with your head down and wallowing in your “I can’t do this” pity. It gives you a little pep in your step to get the job done. This book provides you practical steps to accomplish leadership in the family.

The B-I-B-L-E, that’s the book for me. Love when a book has a solid foundation in God’s Word. Well, this book’s foundation, walls, outlets, and ceiling fans are all rooted in the Bible. Every subject, heading, chapter is firmly supported by God’s Word throughout the book.

Just My Size. This book packs a punch is only 37 pages. For a slow reader like myself, it was a refreshing change to provide valuable information in a book that didn’t take a while to read.

The Bad:

Do-it-yourself Design: If you are into glossy pages, clever font, and perfectly structured chapters…keep moving along. The book is very rudimentary in design, especially the pages within. But if you are able to move past that, the value is in the words.

The Grade: A. Husbands, fathers, men…you need to pick this book up. Sure, some of this may be review, but it needs reviewed. Better yet, read it, then find someone you can mentor and give them this book. Take them to Bob Evans a few times, get the Farmer’s breakfast, put some ketchup on those home fries…and build mighty men!

In Philippians 3:14, Paul was not talking about youth ministry goals. But I still love the phrase “press on toward the goal”. In ministry, you must do just that…”press on”. It is important to reflect on your past accomplishments, like I did last week, and grow from your mistakes and build on your successes. But, it is also vital in ministry to look ahead, plan, and seek God’s guidance for the year ahead. Below are 10 goals for the 2016 ministry year. Hopefully these will provide you with ideas and/or encouragement for the coming year.

Short Term Mission Trip – Mission trips are a part of our ministry every summer in a cycle of local, out-of-state, international, and work trips. This way, the 4 year high school experience will allow for various types of mission work. This year a trip to New York is in the works.

Better Timing – Each year I look at my schedule and there is always at least one “why did I schedule that there?”. This year I want to make a more conscious effort in the timing of events and programs. Team with parents in working out better schedules. Not all conflicts can be avoided, but why not adjust the schedule if it can be.

Family Series – I have been trying to find more ways to gather the family together in a youth ministry context. This year, I plan to teach a small series on the family with the entire family.

Co-Mission Event – Continue the annual co-mission, which is a mission conference for students. This year, there may be some changes to enhance and improve the evangelism training for the students.

Series on Fear – I read recently teens have a wide array of fears. Fear is often what keeps them from doing right and what tempts them to do wrong. Fear takes them places they don’t want to go and holds them hostage when they want to leave. Fear is something we need to talk about.

Winter Retreat – In the past, the winter has been difficult to draw up enough interest for a retreat. Part of it is timing with winter sports, weather, and life. But this year we hope will be different having a younger group.

Service – Each year we place a heavy emphasis on service and provide ample opportunity to serve in the church and in the community. This year is no different with continuous plugging in of students in church life and a community/church service project scheduled every month.

Global Emphasis – With the World in Need month continuing this year, we plan to place an emphasis on the issue of poverty across the world. We hope to encourage the students to not only pray but be a world-changer and do something about global poverty.

Apprenticeships – Along with having a youth intern this year, I want to encourage the student leaders to seek out mentoring opportunities. These will be called apprenticeships within the student leadership team, but outside the group it is simply the older students helping the younger students with life. Mentoring needs to happen both up and down…being mentored, and mentoring others.

I needed help. I needed a mentor. I needed discipleship. Let me start off by saying this…I had the blessing of growing up with two devoted Christ-followers as parents. They led me to salvation, brought me to church, loved me, and cared for me with selflessness and unconditional love. But, a good parent understands that their child needs more than just themselves to continue to grow. When other adults take a spiritual interest in a young person, that additional support goes a long way in their spiritual development. And I had the blessing to have many mentors and adult support (youth pastor, pastors, teachers, youth leaders, and the list goes on) willing to disciple me…I probably needed more than most to get me going in the right direction.

But one particular couple stands out. They had 5 children of their own, so I look back now and am amazed they had so much time to help me. The husband, a sharp man, was never afraid to tell me the truth, and providing sound Biblical advice. The wife was so caring, kind-hearted, and full of grace. You could call them a couple with truth and grace.

When my mom passed away, they constantly opened their home, fed me loaded nachos, and played games with me. They provided a home away from home when I was really hurting. The wife would provide me advice that I needed from a mom including “don’t be kissing till you have a ring”, and filled my belly with additional snacks that I also needed from a mom. The dad would scream laugh at my jokes, listen intently to my stories from the golf course, and be a sounding board for my career aspirations.

But one day stands out. My mom had just passed away in early May, and I needed a suit for my high school graduation. I had no clue. I never had owned a suit in my life, and didn’t know the first place to look. So I asked if this couple would meet me at the mall and give this sad kid some fashion direction. I needed a mom to stop me from picking a leisure suit, and guide me in the right direction.

We met at JCPenney. This couple helped me pick out a solid black suit. A suit I wore to my graduation from high school. A suit I wore to my graduation from college and seminary. It also became the suit that I wore on my first date with their daughter…I think you know where this is going.

This couple was always like a second father and mother to me. Now, they truly are. I fell in love with their daughter after that first date. (And no, I didn’t kiss her until she had the ring!) The mentoring and discipleship that I received in high school, still continues to this day. My father-in- law continued to disciple me as I became the primary caretaker of his daughter, just 5 years after they helped me purchase my first suit.

15 years later, they gave me money for my birthday. And after 15 years, I needed a new suit (the wife/mother-in-law’s daughter also makes a really good loaded nacho – hence needing a new suit). So with the birthday money, I decided to go to JCPenney with my wife and kids, and purchase a new solid black suit. It reminded me of that special day, and the many other days this couple disciple me patiently to help me become a better follower of Jesus.

So, pastors, youth leaders, parents, teachers, friends…what does a mentor look like? What does discipleship look like? It looks a lot like life. A mentor is someone that is willing to sacrifice their time and energy to provide godly wisdom to everyday life. Sure, this couple may have had 300 other things to do that day, but they knew I needed help for an important day. And there had to be times they wanted a quiet night when I rang the doorbell, but the nachos and “take two” game were ready for me every time without a complaint. Life and time. You put those two things together under the precious wisdom of God’s Word, you have discipleship.

Take time to be a mentor. Take time to disciple a younger person, or a younger believer. Treat them like family, because one day they just might be.

Who was the first mentor in the Bible? Answer: God. Yeah, the Sunday school answer would have won the contest. It’s true. If there was ever a mentor that we should model, it would be God. And the very first discipleship process is found in the Garden of Eden. So how was God a mentor to Adam, and what did He do in the discipleship process?

1. Spiritual Guidance – Genesis 2:16-17

It didn’t take long for Adam to receive spiritual guidance from his mentor. They are pretty clear instructions – don’t eat from this tree. Let that be a lesson to you in your discipleship process. Be clear in your spiritual guidance, and help those you are mentoring to not make the common adolescent mistakes. Impart wisdom and guide their decisions. Should I go to this party? Is it OK to date _____? Help them!

Your job as a mentor is to help that young person make decisions. Partner with parents and help them on the right path, help them use the Bible as their roadmap, guide them in godly decisions.

2. Help Solve Problems – Genesis 2:18

God saw it was a problem that Adam was alone, and He fixed it. He provided a helper for him. Sure, we are not God, and we cannot solve all the problems of our young generation, no matter how much we would like this to be the case…but we can still help.

Help students find solutions to their problems. Listen, suicide is the second leading cause of deaths in teenagers. It is the fourth leading cause of death in ages 5-15! We need to help them find solutions, because they are finding the wrong answers all too often. Answers can be found in God’s Word. Some have parents that will lead them to those right answers, others do not. Let’s do our part as mentors, and help students solve their problems with God’s Word and prayer.

3. Give them responsibility – Genesis 2:20

Our motto this year in our student ministry is “Student Takeover”. My goal is to have students take over multiple ministries. Sure, it will start small with things like: announcements and running PowerPoint. But so far it has evolved into leading prayer groups & small groups, or leading the praise band. We have even taken it to the point of having the students plan and execute an entire Sunday Night youth group by themselves. How cool is that! They are learning ministry. What’s next in the takeover? Planning and executing a Community Easter Egg Hunt. Do I help? I try not to as much as I can. You may think that is cruel. I think it is empowering, teaching, and mentoring!

Keep finding ways to plug students into ministry. Let me give you an example. There was a 9th grader who was somewhat shy. So, did I make him be the “announcement guy” or lead a Bible study? No. I saw his gifts were in technology and computers. I talked to his parents and mentioned the idea of getting him plugged into the sound/multimedia team at church and in youth group. Now he runs PowerPoint for the main service and helps with sound on special events. How cool is that? He’s serving!

Sometimes all it takes is recognizing a student’s abilities or gifts, and plugging them in a service opportunity. God gave Adam the task of naming the animals. Well, that’s already been done, so find something for the teenager or child you are mentoring to do for God!